NASA and Hollywood Reach for The Stars in High-Definition

April 11, 2017

5:50 pm

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Hollywood has always been a part of feeding our curiosity about life in space. From 2001: A Space Odyssey and Apollo 13 to Interstellar and The Martian, the world beyond our atmosphere doesn’t seem as far away thanks to directors and actors alike. And with the latest advancements at SpaceX and Blue Origin, the idea of heading out into space for a quick glance back at the big blue marble may soon become a reality.

In the meantime, if we want to peek into what’s happening beyond our atmosphere, Hollywood insiders, technology experts and NASA are pairing up for the highest resolution video ever broadcast live from space.

On Wednesday, April 26 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, NASA astronaut and Expedition 51 commander Peggy Whitson will take viewers 250 miles off the Earth to the International Space Station and star in the first livestream in Ultra High-Definition (UHD) as part of a panel discussion.

NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson

The panel, titled Reaching for the Stars Connecting to the Future with NASA and Hollywood, will explore how advancing imaging and cloud technologies are taking scientific research and filmmaking to the next level.

The panel will be moderated by Carolyn Giardina, technology editor for the Hollywood Reporter, and joined by panelists NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Rodney Grubbs, NASA Imagery Experts program manager, Bernadette McDaid, head of development, virtual reality and augmented reality at Bau Entertainment, Khawaja Shams, vice president of engineering for AWS Elemental and Dave McQueeney, senior principal investigator for the IBM Watson Group.

During this event, Astronaut Whitson will speak with Sam Blackman, chief executive officer and cofounder of AWS Elemental, via an ultra-high-definition (UHD) broadcast transmitted in 4K from the 2017 National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas. Watch Amazon Web Services’ livestream here.

To experience the full effect online, devices capable of viewing 4K UHD content will be required, however, lower resolution streams of the live broadcast will be available on NASA Television, NASA’s Facebook page and the agency’s website.

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Tishin is a technology journalist and correspondent. She has written for TechCrunch, Demand Studios and Fitness, and has regular network segments on local Phoenix affiliate stations. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical and Sport psychology, and has covered many areas of technology ranging from 3D printing and game development to neurotech and funding for over 15 years.